During the semester, I usually go to the same bar to watch the Sabres games whenever they’re playing on Friday or Saturday night. When they win, the bar runs a temporary drink special on Miller lite. I’ve drank more than a couple Millers the past few weeks and that has had a lot to do with the performance of Ryan Miller.
I’ve always been a huge fan of #30. I love how he is able to win games. Miller always seems to be able to rise to the moment. My opinion and expectations of Miller have always been high but ever since the playoffs in the spring of ’06, it seems like all I’ve been doing is making excuses, mostly directed at his inconsistency.
People forget now, but Miller was drafted way back in 1999. Although he became a professional in this organization in 2002, this will only technically be his fifth full seasons in the NHL. It seems like just yesterday he was a rookie. What a long, strange journey it has been.
Fourteen games into the 2009-2010 season, Miller’s numbers are otherworldly. He’s first amongst goaltenders in the NHL in wins, save-percentage, and goals-against-average. Frankly, there isn’t a goalie who has played in the same number of games as Miller that’s even close to his save-percentage (.940) and goals-against-average (1.75). With that said, two questions really come to mind.
First, how is this even possible? Miller’s stats in the years prior have only been slightly above average compared to other starters. He has developed a reputation amongst many Sabres fans and critics as a goaltender that lets in soft goals, especially when the Sabres are ahead by a two or three goal margin.
The second, and more important question, is whether or not Miller can continue to put up these kind of numbers and be the type of difference maker that has helped the Sabres to start the season with an 11-4-1 record.
First thing is first, though. This is definitely the best defensive team Miller has ever played behind in his professional career. Opponents may get the occasional odd-man rush on the Sabres but based on what I’ve seen so far, the Sabres are a tough team to establish a consistent offensive-zone presence on. Miller is relied upon to make big saves but not to make 40 or 50 saves in a game, like he was in the past. The Sabres’ defense is doing a good job giving him an opportunity to make saves.
I’ve discussed Miller critically with people that know a lot more about hockey than I do and we pretty much all agree that his style and approach are pretty unusual. He’s definitely a progressive goaltender. Most of Miller’s saves are position saves. He reads the play better than just about any goaltender I’ve ever watched. He has a tremendous feel for where he is in relation to the net and he uses that to take away any open area. Often, he gives opponents nothing to shoot at. In this way, Miller makes difficult saves look routine.
In the past, there were two types of goaltenders: the butterfly goaltender and the stand-up goaltender, with the latter being the more dated than the two. The best butterfly goaltender in the league right now I think is probably Henrik Lundqvist. Without a doubt, the best stand-up goaltender in today’s game is Martin Brodeur. The effectiveness of either style is dependent upon the players’ ability to react to the placement of the shot. Stand-up goaltenders are much more susceptible to low shots and that’s why that style is being used less and less by professionals.
Miller is a hybrid. He uses enough of the butterfly technique to take away the low shots and enough of the stand-up technique to move around very quickly. Actually, his movement is outstanding, particularly towards and away from the net, and it is essential to his effectiveness. He can get away with the distance he puts between himself and the net because his technique enables him to be in the physical position to recover and adjust quickly. He also doesn’t give up many rebounds. All of that takes a while to develop.
Will it be hard to maintain? Yes, but I think it’s very likely he will. A goaltender is asking a lot more of himself to physically react to every shot like a strictly butterfly or stand-up goaltender must. When Miller struggles, it’s because he’s not reading the play well. His mental approach is both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. Fortunately, with experience, his day in and day out mental approach is sure to get stronger and consequently his game should be more consistent. We’re seeing the results of his experience now, I think.
Lest we forget, and there’s no way I can really overstate what I’m about to say, Miller was a ridiculous goaltender in college at Michigan State. He is arguably the best goaltender in NCAA division-1 history. In his second year, he posted a .950 save-percentage and a 1.32 goals-against-average. Those are video game type of numbers. There literally is no ceiling for how well Miller can play in the NHL based on his statistics and achievements in the college.
Most Sabres fans and critics would quickly agree that he is the most talented player on the team right now. But given that Miller’s style is not very flashy, I doubt many really appreciate just how well he is playing. All good goaltenders have sound technique. Miller’s technique is such that his success is more a measurement of how well he is reading plays and the location of players on the ice, not how well he is reacting to the placement of shots.
Right now, everything is working for him. It would be unreasonable to expect him to maintain these types of numbers for the entirety of the season. I really believe in him, though. I feel confident that he’ll continue to show he’s an elite level goaltender when he faces the scoring opportunities in which Miller is given a fair opportunity to stop.